Ringmasters' Welcome
by Zdenko Masque
Summary: ...Feed it the token, all shiny and new. It is then that CarnEvil will return for YOU! When the Ringmasters of an evil circus try to trap them forever, Zan, Madi, and Jase must rely on the help of a complete stanger. Will they escape? Only time may tell.


~RIngmasters' Welcome

**Full Story Summary: **_**...Feed it the token, all shiny and new, it is then that CarnEvil will return for **_**YOU****! **_**When Zan and her friends Madi and Jase come across a myth-come-true, they are introduced to a new world, with some interesting characters! But every action has an opposite reaction! When the Ringmasters of an evil circus try to trap them forever, and with time running short, Zan, Madi, and Jase must rely on a complete-not to mention as creepy as all get out-stranger for help. Will they escape? Only time can tell...**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own CarnEvil (well, this new and improved version was recreated from the old game and is co-owned by Invader Nav and I), I do not own Nightmare Bitters, Night, or Nny (They be Jhonen Vasquez's {Long live the King}), I do not own Creature, Hiss, Viper, Alan, or Alice (They belong to Invader Nav), Nightmare Jenny (joy2theworlddannyphantom has that honor), nor do I own Zan (She belongs to Wolf of the Moon's Shadow). But I do, however**_**, **_**own Key, Feature, Skully, Blaze, Madam Piper, Mrs. and Mr. B., Victor, and any other charry beside those named above. The poem at the start is Invader Nav's, and the poem after it belongs to Creature Feature. Any poem or rhyme after those two are mine. Enjoy.**

**~MTHM**

CHAPTER 1

_"When the moon is full, and the leaves are bare,_

_Walk through the cemetery, if you dare._

_Where skeletons rot and corpses fester,_

_Locate the tomb with the head of a jester._

_Feed it the token, all shiny and new,_

_It is then that CarnEvil will return for __**you**__!"_

Zan had heard the poem before, but she never thought it was true. Until the night she and two friends, Madi and Jase, were walking along the gate of the graveyard on a fall night, guided by a full moon that was rather early for it only being around six o'clock. Suddenly, Jase stopped short and Zan face-planted the side walk. Pushing her abnormally blue hair out of her eyes she stood, green eyes flaring. "The _hell _was that for?" She yelled. "See that over there? It looks like a clown head!"

"Hey, it does! C'mon Zan, let's go see!" Zan found herself being dragged into the cemetery. As she and her friends stood in front of the tomb, Zan had to admit that this _did_ look _a lot _like a jester's head. She looked around, an uncomfortable feeling overcoming her. "Guys, I think we should-"

"Hey! Look at this gold coin!" Madi said, pointing at a shiny gold circle lying in a small stone tray by the head.

"So what? It's just a token." Zan said, picking it up and looking at her friends. It's surface was cold to the touch, and Zan shivered.

"I have an idea." Jase said, taking it. He walked over to the head and slid it into the mouth. The jester suddenly came to life, it's eyes glowing red, and an evil cackle echoing from it's form. "We should really go..." Zan said. As her friends started to respond, the ground started to tremble violently. Zan gripped a gravestone to keep upright. Jase and Madi fell to their knees in front of the jester as it continued to cackle maniacly.

Zan watched, half in horror and half in amazement, as a carnival rose from the ground. In front of the carnival rose a small stand, with a skinny, pink-haired girl standing in it. Despite her harmless appearance, Zan saw pointed, blood-stained teeth when the girl grinned. With a bad feeling gnawing at her insides, she found herself drawn to the girl. She began to walk to her, despite her better jusgement. Her friends joined her, and she became aware of more people behind them. She stopped in front of the glass window. When everyone had settled and quieted, _she _began to speak.

_"Harken stranger, as you pass by,_

_As you are now, so once was I._

_As I am now, you soon shall be,_

_So be prepared to follow me._

_Beyond the dead, amongst the lower birth,_

_We welcome you, to the Greatest Show Unearthed."_

With a small feeling of dread, Zan knew instanty where she was. "CarnEvil..." she whispered. She fought the urge to run as if something was lulling her to come inside. She wanted so desperately to run, but could not. She walked up and was given a ticket. Zan walked past a large sign that read "The CarnEvil of Horrors." She looked around and blinked when the girl called "The show starts at seven!"

She glanced at her watch. 6:25. She walked around slowly, enraptured by the stands and rides. She saw one labled "Shoot the Ducks", and headed toward it. _I'm good at shooting games_, she thought to herself as she walked. She found herself looking at two figures in top-hats. There were odd features about them, as well. They were both human looking, but with pitch black skin, and glowing, pupil-less eyes. The male, dressed in a purple suit that matched his eyes, was bent, digging around in the stand. His hat, Zan noticed, was held up by two black and purple-striped horns. The female, Zan assumed she was the male's wife, was dressed in a black and green striped suit that matched her hair. Her back was turned, and she was arranging evil-looking teddies around an empty duck stand. Zan cleared her throat. "Ahem."

The male's head shot up and his wide purple eyes narrowed as he grinned. The female turned and assumed the same expression. "Ye-es?" The asked in unison.

"Uhm, I've a question."

"Go ahead."

"Why is it called a shoot the duck stand if there aren't any ducks?"

"Mm." The male grinned. Zan blinked as he again bent down. Almost as quick, a cardboard suck was slapped onto her forehead. The female reached foreward and handed him a black lump. Vision blocked by the duck, she tensed when she heard a click, and felt pressure against the duck. She tilted her chin to see him holding a gun to her forehead.

"Now run."

"Shoot the duck and win a prize! The only prize is your demise!" The female sing-songed.

Zan swallowed thickly but held her ground. He smirked and pulled the trigger. Zan gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. After a few moments, the two erupted into peals of laughter. She opened her eyes to find a white flag in her face, with the word "BANG!" written in big red letters on either side. She looked up wide-eyed at the male. He smiled at her, a gentle one this time. "You're the first person to actually stand through that," he said, impressed. "Good job."

The female bent and gave her a teddy bear. "Enjoy the carnival." She purred. Zan looked down to smooth some of it's fur. When she looked back up, the two figures had disappeared.


End file.
